All posts tagged Picasso

Two years ago, Art Basel directors Marc Spiegler and Annette Schönholzer came to this city on a mission: to start a new contemporary art fair in Asia. But after scoping out the competition, they decided to change tack.

The Hong Kong International Art Fair, also known as Art HK, “was not only a popular show, but a show whose quality was rising from year to year,” said Mr. Spiegler. After that, he said, “this idea of working with the existing team made a lot of sense.” Art Basel’s owner, MCH Group, bought a majority stake in the Hong Kong fair last year.

This week marks Art HK’s fifth edition, and its last. Next May it will be reborn as Art Basel, joining its Swiss and Floridian sisters in a triumvirate of the world’s biggest and buzziest art gatherings.

Showcasing a nearly even split of Asian and Western galleries, the fair has risen from an unknown quantity in a so-called cultural desert to the premier event on the continent’s art calendar. Organizers expect as many as 67,000 attendees, and accompanying the four-day event is a flurry of peripheral happenings, from exhibition openings, art tours and gallery launches to dim sum brunches, cocktail receptions and V.I.P. ping-pong nights. Read More »

Interest in Pablo Picasso’s portraits of his lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter, continues to exceed art-world expectations. In London on Tuesday, the rarely seen “Jeune Fille Endormie” fetched £13.5 million (US$21.9 million) at auction—13% above the upper end of Christie’s presale estimate. Read More »

A rarely-seen painting by Pablo Picasso of his lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter, is expected to bring a windfall to the University of Sydney next week when it goes under the hammer at a Christie’s auction in London. The estimated price: £9 million to £12 million (US$14.5 million to US$19.4 million). Read More »

Picasso is set to make a splash in Hong Kong this autumn, with not one, but three sales in the city.

Two of the city’s top galleries and auctioneer Sotheby’s are hosting exhibitions of the Spanish artist’s work that will also offer fans the chance to buy pieces from across Picasso’s career. Read More »